Boeing warns 1,090 more of coming layoffs

That makes 25,640 as company nears goal of 30,000 cuts

Published 10:00 pm, Thursday, October 24, 2002

The Boeing Co. will warn 1,090 more local workers today to prepare to lose their jobs, even as officials develop a plan for yet another round of job cuts in 2003.

The company is nearing its previous goal of trimming 30,000 people from its payroll -- it will have dismissed 25,640 by the end of today, according to Boeing spokesman Bill Cogswell. Boeing will lay off nearly 100 local workers around the Puget Sound today, he added.

As U.S. airlines continue to struggle, Boeing executives now are determining how much deeper they must cut. They will disclose their decision soon, likely in the coming weeks, according to Cogswell.

"More job cuts will be necessary. We are determining (the plan) right now through the business planning process," Cogswell said. "We expect to reach that through a combination of layoffs and attrition at this point."

Boeing officials say they have little choice but to cut loose tens of thousands of employees. The nation's largest carriers, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and others, are reeling as they struggle to adjust to the shrinking demand for air travel after the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001.

Since last year, the company has laid off 15,650 workers around the Seattle area, the home of its commercial aircraft group, while handing out 20,750 layoff warnings in the region, according to Cogswell. Boeing could issue the first warnings for 2003 on Nov. 22, according to Cogswell. Companywide, Boeing already has notified 31,850 they face potential layoffs.

"Looking toward 2003, we continue to see the downward pressure on employment due to the further deterioration of the airplane market," Cogswell said.

One sign of Boeing's troubles is the possibility production of 757, 767 and 747 jets could fall to one a month. Today, 20 Machinists and 80 salaried workers will put in their last hours of work at the company's Western Washington facilities, the company said.

At the same time, the company will hand out 60-day warnings to 225 members of the International Association of Machinists union and 865 salaried workers in the Puget Sound region. The workers will be told they could lose their jobs Jan. 1.

The so-called WARN process (the acronym means Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) is not an exact science, as some workers who receive notices are not actually laid off.